European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL IDENTITY(IES) OF PORTUGUESE ... 209posicionamento na vida apenas, eu acho como é evidente há umfruto do que foi a educação lá em casa, há um fruto obviamente porter passado pelo menos até aos 19 anos em casa dos meus pais, nofundo ainda vivi oficialmente em Portugal, digo oficialmente porquequer dizer a partida definitiva foi em 91 mas quer dizer, era o meuquarto, minhas coisas todas continuavam em Portugal até eu tersaído em 91, portanto como é evidente Portugal tem… deu-me umainjecção de, de, de valores claro que muito grande, é um patrimónioenorme que é a minha cultura. (Original account, Estrela, 2002)But, when they ask, “where are you from?” I answer “I amEuropean”. That’s my instinctive reaction. I am a European citizen,because even within Europe it is obvious that my roots, my blood, myname, my language are all in Portugal. I am not going “to touch” onthat, that would be for ever. It does not seem to me that I comefrom Portugal. I am not a product of Portugal only. I’ve been in manyplaces and had a variety of friends at very important stages, whenthe person is developing her own concepts. My friends wereforeigners, so I cannot claim that was only Portugal that gave myinstruction or this positioning in life. I believe, as it is obvious, thatthere is a product of what was my education at home. Obviously,there is a product for living in my parents’ house at least till I was 19.Officially I still lived in Portugal, I say officially because my definitiveleaving was in 1991. But, I mean, there was my bedroom, all mybelongings were in Portugal up to my leave in 1991. Thus, as it isapparent, Portugal … gave me a great injection of values. It is anenormous heritage it is my culture. (My translation)Madalena sees her Portuguese heritage as one of the layers of theperson she is. Her travelling and stays in several European countries arethe basis for the other layers that then justify her European identity.She does not feel as a cultural product of a unique country. Her senseof who she is includes living experiences and memories from severalEuropean countries. Though these experiences belong to distinct timesand places she brings them together under the umbrella of experiencesshe perceives as marking “who” she is.Agora o meu posicionamento na vida não é necessariamente sófruto disso, quer dizer, esses anos todos que andei a viajar enquantoainda vivia em Portugal depois de, uma vez de ter saído, a falta decontacto que tive no dia a dia com portugueses, acho que o frutoque sou, sou um produto cultural, e também não é inglês, tenhoaqui passado tão pouco tempo proporcionalmente ao tempo que jáestou fora, a Inglaterra acaba por ser apenas mais um país que memarcou, eu tenho recordações tão fortes ou tão vivas do tempo quevivi em Paris …(original account, Estrela, 2002).